Help, I need to get into my jeans - anyone want to join me for a September challenge?

[thatsnotmyfruitshoot]

Just put all my loose linen summer numbers in the loft and realised I'm bulging out of all the lovely jeans I planned to wear this autumn. Going away for half term so it would be great to be a size smaller by then.

I'm 5ft 7 and need to lose about 20lbs to be at my most comfortable, so not drastic, but enough that I'm feeling really lardy, and need to do something before I gain any more.

My plan is to eat healthily (using food focus website to keep me on straight and narrow..) - boiled egg and slice of toast with grilled mushrooms for breakfast (totally fills me up), then soup for lunch and something with veg for dinner. One treat meal at the weekend. 30 mins exercise a day (either running or exercise dvd)

Please come and join me, I'm hopeless when left to my own devices..!!

Morning Ladies,

well here are my measurements:

Weight: 94.5kg (207lbs/14st5lbs)

Bicep: 15"/38cm
Bust: 41.5"/105cm
Waist: 37"/94cm
Hips: 47"/119cm
Thigh: 30.5"/77.5cm

Hey Bra - don't know, but I think I may be top trump on the weight

Well - there it is, in black and white. Have managed to lose half kg/1lb since last week. Can't avoid the truth. Let's keep at this - fruity I am going to look at this food focus you mention.

Just registered with food focus -

If I stick to it and lose 2lb per week I will be on goal in March '11.

Long journey but it all begins with a single step

Foodfocus is brilliant.
As long as you log your food every day throughout the day, you'll do really well.
I have an app for my iphone called fitness pal which does the same thing.
It really keeps you in check and you always know how many cals you've got for the rest of the day so you can make sensible decisions.

You'll do it Timba
March will be here before you know it

Timba, it will fly by and you'll be lovely and slim for spring next year. I lost a stone and a half in 3 months with Food Focus last year, it definitely does work but I'm all or nothing with it, I really must do it every day to see the results. I remember being horrified at how many calories were in french stick.

I feel really motivated now, might even attempt a Davina workout dvd later! I can't wait to get rid of the bulge around my stomach and hips, it would be lovely if that were gone by the end of the month.

Shaxx, I don't know if you can freeze cheese. Will google it and report back.. I can't eat it, that's for sure.

Yes, apparently you can freeze cheese, but you have to wrap it really well first and it can be crumbly when it thaws out.

For research purposes I will experiment with my posh cheese board when the Tesco man delivers it this afternoon.

Can I join? Want to lose about 10 pounds so not too much but the difference between all clothes feeling slightly too tight and uncomfortable.

I love food but do also love exercise, unfortunately as I am on my own it is difficult to find the time with two small dc.

My weakness is being at home with dc most of the time and nibbling, get bored so stick head in the fridge. Would love to be able to come on line and have someone encourage me to get on my cross trainer or Wii Fit and NOT eat that cheese or ham sandwich or piece of toast.

So I am around 10 stone and 5'5. I would like to be where I want to be by Christmas or sooner!

Welcome Esme, I'm in a similar situation with two small dc's so understand the nightmare of finding time for yourself and juggling everything else. Tomorrow is going to be a real treat after 6 weeks of barely having a moment to myself.

10lbs by Christmas should be fine, it's probably the difference of a sandwich a day, or 30 mins on the cross trainer. It's just getting into the habit I think. I enjoy exercise once I've started, it's the starting that's the issue..!

Hi everyone, I've just weighed in and lost 1lb since last night's post, which seems a bit weird but then I did do quite a long pee before I got on the scales.

So, I'm 10st 4lbs and would badly love to be 10st by the 18th September when we go on holiday. My goal weight is 9st 3lbs, possibly around the start of December but my weight loss has slowed down now so I don't know how that'll go. I also assume I'll put some back on on holiday. Averaging 5lbs a month doesn't seem too optimistic.

Cheese is my downfall! Glass of wine, french bread, butter, and a cheese platter, maybe some nice chutney.... oooh, heaven. I'm having to tell myself that the sooner I get to goal weight then the sooner the cheese deprivation ends!

nope timba, I'm afraid I 'win'...

15st7 - even more than I thought. and 42in on waist. :(

biggest I've been apart from my 2nd pregnancy when I was carrying a monster baby!

well, that was depressing. glad I've set myself the healthy-during-the-week rule as on seeing my weight I immediately wanted chocolate - I've put on a lot in the last month or so, really stressful times, but I'm not going to let that be an excuse any more! what's really annoying is seeing how much work I'll have to do just to undo the last few weeks' damage. I'll let that be a lesson to me I think.

I made a very nice soup for lunch and didn't even have bread with it and I'm expecting a vast amount of healthy groceries in the next couple of hours.

Hey Bra, don't be depressed - you have taken the biggest and hardest step of all. I know, cos I took it last week when Shaxx made me make myself responsible for myself . Strangely I felt 'lighter' by actually admitting the state of things, it's like you've stopped keeping a secret. Don't stress it - we will keep each other going. I have been for a long walk today - with my bike riding DS - wore myself out trying to keep up . Going out again later for another one

Fruity - I'm like you, all or nothing. Now that I have made the mental commitment I will stick to it.

Well done Lemon - a good long pee really can make the difference.

Hi Esme - welcome to the club. You will get tons of encouragement here.

Shaxx - yes you can freeze cheese, depending on the cheese itself. I have frozen hard cheeses such as cheddar and parmesan. I really wouldn't want to try softer cheeses, say gorgonzola or brie...I think it might change the texture when it defrosts. You could try a small piece and see how it goes? But the hard cheeses freeze well and defrost well - they are a little more crumbly after being frozen though.

Well done everyone - for weighing in and sticking to it

Sorry Esme - meant to put you in bold

Okay, have waddled off for a weigh-in cuz I want to join.

I'm nearly spot-on 160 pounds, so I need to lose one stone. I reckon this might take more than a month!

I don't want to enter it all into Food Focus again. Can't you all just tell me to put down the cookies at regular intervals??

Have put down the cookies. Am eating a tangerine.

No cookies allowed!! (unless they have been included as part of your cal allowance for the day)
You'll feel much better with the vitamins and nutrients from a tangerine. A cookie will just make you feel sluggish and crap later so well done on your choice

PLEASE say its not to lae to join
i have been on a few weight loss boards on here but never managed more than a pound or 2 !!
i mean it this time...
need to get rid of this weight coz i am disgusted in the way i look
currently
i am 5'2 and weigh 12 st 10lb
size 16 are okay on me... i have had 3 casareans so have a bit of a puchy tummy, i am FAT all over
will be starting my diet tomorrow

HI proper and thisis - more than enough room for all

This is a really supportive group. I'm sure we will all reach our goals

Btw - put those cookies down proper !!

Omg - I had 6 small oatcakes at lunch. 226 cals!! They were the cheese ones, I admit, but bloody hell. I was horrified. No more bloody oat cakes for me ... sneaky buggers Had them with feta and an apple - even an apple is 50 cals so I can just imagine the calorie total of what I have been consuming .

Have also done 30 minutes on Just Dance with my DS!! A lot of fun

Timba I found out that oatcakes were quite high in cals too. I think ryvita is a safe bet. And low fat cream cheese instead of normal cheese. Boring but we have to think about our waists!

Dh has just said I shouldn't go to the gym today as I may overdo it.
I suppose he has a point. I'm not exactly a fitness queen (not unfit either) and I've been doing strenuous workouts every day since Sat so I'll have a rest day today and get back to it tomorrow.
I've got a basic x-trainer so I may just do 20mins on that.
I've kind of got in the mode that I HAVE to do something every day!

Stuck to my cals today.

Evening everyone, I'm feeling virtuous as I've come in just under my cal allowance for the day, and am keeping my mouth food free until tomorrow now, other than a rice cake if I'm peckish later!

Managed a 30 min Davina cardio box session, and had massive plate of steamed veggies and a mushroom burger for dinner (followed by a caramel cup cake but never mind, they need using up and there's only one left..)

And my cheese board never got here in the end, it had sold out and was subbed for something else which I sent back. Hooray!

Instead of oatcakes, I think the large Marmite rice cakes are gorgeous (depending on whether you love or hate the stuff!) and they're only 30 cals each. Two are enough to fill me right up. Am binning cheesy oatcakes after that revelation!!

I love plain rice cakes, or perhaps with cottage cheese. in a way I'm quite lucky, I really love a lot of foods that are really healthy - it's just that I also love chocolate!

anyway reasonably good day, I did finish up the chocolate weetabix though... but other than that I was super-good - DD came out of nursery with a chocolate bar and slice of cake (other kids leaving) and I stood there while she ate them

home made soup for lunch (carrot and cauliflower, it was scrummy!), and dry-roast chicken with a massive salad for dinner. I also made a hummus and salad wrap when I was feeling a bit shakey - I'm quite proud I didn't go for the cereal!

exercise - this is going to be the harder issue. 2 kids, the younger one I'm still BFing so not much me-time! but I did walk to and from DD's preschool twice :)

Marmite rice cakes sound good! I really miss marmite on toast. Maybe they'll help? [hopeful]

I'd like to recommend Rachaels organic low fat vanilla yoghurt. Mmmm really delicious with strawberries and only 85cals per 100g.

im at work tommorow 9.30-9.30
can anyone inspire me on ideas of what to take for a full day... will have use of microwave and oven

Morning Everyone - sorry I crashed and burned last night

I am sooooooo binning the oatcakes. I like ryvita and marmite so will switch to those and rice cakes.

Everyone sounds really psyched - that's fab. Your DH has a point Shaxx, it is always good to put a rest day in every three/four days, especially if you are getting back into it. I'm like you though - if I haven't 'done' something then I'm not pulling my weight (hahaha) no pun intended

thisis - good choices are soba/wheat noodles in miso (both can be bought from supermarket), salads (spinach/tuna/chicken), low fat/non-fat yog/ handful of nuts (almonds good), tons of water, rice cakes, lean meats (ham/chicken/turkey), ryvita, fruit. There is a book caled 'Clean Eating Recharged' by Tosca Reno, it is about clean eating and in it she talks about cooler bags! That is: you put all your food for the day in a cooler bag and carry it with you. Lots of ideas and motivation in that book - maybe worth a look???

Hope everyone has a great day.

I am off to the park for a 1 hour power walk after taking DS to school (can't believe the holidays have gone so quickly)

P.S. Well done Bra - that walk is the start. Keep walking to and from DD's school, strap baby into sling or in the pushchair and stride out. If you can, when you feel able, start adding a loop (start smaller and get bigger) and you will soon find you are clocking up km's/miles

thisis - so glad your cheese didn't arrive

Well done ladies , you are doing really well.

I am hoping to lose 10lb by the end of September so thought I would join you for some joint motivation. I am glad that the children are going back to school soon as this has been a real de-motivator for me, have been going out and eating in cafe's and at softplay.

Have upped my water intake too, and cut back on tea as I have three sugars in a cup

Am going to go for a powerwalk later once the children are in bed and DH is home.